This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ramos-Casals, M Articles by Font, J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ramos-Casals, M Articles by Font, J Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Autoimmunity and geriatrics: clinical significance of autoimmune manifestations in the elderly

Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Clinical Institute of Infections and Immunology, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain, mramos{at}clinic.ub.es

M García-Carrasco

Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Clinical Institute of Infections and Immunology, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain

M P Brito

Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Clinical Institute of Infections and Immunology, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain

A López-Soto

Geriatrics Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain

J Font

Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Clinical Institute of Infections and Immunology, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain

The immune system undergoes continuousmorphologic and functionalchanges throughoutthe years, and it is now believed that the immune response has its peak function in puberty and gradually decreases with age (immunosenescence). Recent studies in healthy octogenarian patients suggest that the immune system, instead of suffering a generalized deterioration, undergoes a remodelling/readjustment of its major functions. Increase in two contrasting phenomena coexist in immunosenescence: on the one hand, a decrease in the capacity of the immune response and, on the other hand autoantibodyproduction.The possibleconsequencesof this progressive‘ageing’ of the immune system are the increasein autoimmune phenomena, incidenceof neoplasiaand predisposition to infections. The study of autoimmune manifestations in elderly populations should be considered a priority for future medical research because of increasing life expectancy, especially in developed countries. This review analyses the main immune disorders associated with immunosenescence, the prevalence and clinical significance of autoantibodiesin the elderly and the clinical expression of the main autoimmune diseases in older patients.

Key Words: ageing • autoantibodies • autoimmune diseases • autoimmunity • geriatrics • immunosenescence

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. H. Lemster, J. J. Michel, D. T. Montag, J. J. Paat, S. A. Studenski, A. B. Newman, and A. N. Vallejo Induction of CD56 and TCR-Independent Activation of T Cells with Aging J. Immunol., February 1, 2008; 180(3): 1979 - 1990. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. R. Etling, S. Davies, M. Campbell, R. W. Redline, P. Fu, and A. D. Levine Maturation of the mucosal immune system underlies colitis susceptibility in interleukin-10-deficient (IL-10 / ) mice J. Leukoc. Biol., August 1, 2007; 82(2): 311 - 319. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Germenis, E. E. Yiannaki, K. Zachou, V. Roka, S. Barbanis, C. Liaskos, K. Adam, A. N. Kapsoritakis, S. Potamianos, and G. N. Dalekos Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Immunoglobulin A Antibodies against Tissue Transglutaminase in Patients with Diverse Chronic Liver Diseases Clin. Vaccine Immunol., August 1, 2005; 12(8): 941 - 948. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]